1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive or vehicle seat including a rear seat. In particular, the invention is directed to a fold-down vehicle seat of the type wherein its seat back and seat cushion are in an interlocked relation with each other for synchronized movement, and wherein forward folding of the seat back causes simultaneous flipping over of the seat cushion in forward direction, so that the back side of the thus-fold seat cushion may be set at a horizontal storage position where the flipped-over seat cushion has been situated.
2. Description of Prior Art
Well known is a fold-down vehicle seat of this type wherein forward folding of its seat back simultaneously causes its seat cushion to fold down in the same forward direction, which is frequently used in a recreational vehicle for instance. In this particular type of seat, when a user folds down the seat back in the forward direction of vehicle, the seat cushion is automatically flipped over upwardly in the likewise forward direction, providing a space therebehind, so that the seat back is folded down into that space and stored therein, with the back wall of the seat back laying horizontally thereon to provide an extended floor that can be used as a load-carrying platform or the like.
One example of this particular seat is disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 54-129620, according to which, its seat cushion is pivoted at the forward end thereof on a floor of vehicle, whereas its seat back is pivoted at the lower end thereof on the floor, and a connecting rod is operatively connected between those seat cushion and seat back so as to establish an interlocking relation therebetween, so that, simultaneous with the forward folding of the seat back, the seat cushion is rotated relative to the forward end and flipped over upwardly to an upright storage position.
In this conventional fold-down seat provided with the connecting rod, however, when the seat cushion and seat back are positioned at an upright storage position and at a horizontal storage position, respectively, it is necessary to lock both seat cushion and seat back to a body of vehicle by means of locking device, otherwise, the seat cushion and seat back will be wobbled and rattled due to vibration of vehicle running on a rough road, so that an unpleasant noise might be generated therefrom.
In that respect, the connecting rod projects upwardly at the lateral side of the seat cushion near to a door of the vehicle, which is undesirably in the way of a passenger who will enter the vehicle. Further, in the case of a fold-down seat having a lock device provided in the seat cushion thereof, wherein the seat cushion can be locked to a vehicle body, it is annoyingly necessary to operate the lock device to unlock the seat cushion, prior to folding the seat back forwardly in practical use.
Also, with regard to a fold-down rear seat on which a headrest is mounted, there is the problem that, when folding its seat back forwardly, the headrest on that seat back is contacted with a seat in front thereof, as a result of which, the rear-seat seat back can not be folded down completely to a storage position on a corresponding seat cushion of the rear seat. To solve such problem, there has been known a seat wherein a headrest is in an interlocked relation with the seat back, so that folding the seat back forwardly causes simultaneous rotation of the headrest in the forward direction. For example, as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-58330, a lock device provided in a headrest is connected via an interlocking device with another lock device provided in a seat back, so that, in response to operation of the headrest lock device to unlock the headrest from the seat back, the seat back lock device is simultaneously operated to unlock the seat back from a vehicle body. According thereto, indeed, its operability is improved and easy because a user has only to operate the headrest lock device to release both headrest and seat back for their respective locked states. But, when such lock mechanism is applied to the above-described fold-down seat of the type wherein a connecting rod is provided between seat cushion and seat back for interlocked operation, it is highly possible that, upon folding the seat back forwardly, the headrest will directly contact and interfere with the seat cushion being flipped over upwardly. Further, in some prior art seats, the headrest lock device is operated independently of the seat back lock device, and therefore, it is of a high likelihood that the seat back may be incompletely locked to the vehicle body, even though the headrest is completely locked to the seat back.
In view of the above-stated drawbacks, it is a first purpose of the present invention to provide an improved vehicle seat of the type wherein a seat back and a seat cushion can be simultaneously flipped over to their respective positions via an interlocking means, which is provided with a seat cushion lock mechanism and permits for automatic locking and unlocking operation of the seat cushion lock mechanism in conjunction with such flipping over of the set back and seat cushion, while avoiding interference with a passenger""s foot.
In order to achieve such purpose, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vehicle seat in combination with a vehicle body, which basically comprises:
a seat cushion rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between a horizontal use position and an upright storage position;
a seat back rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between an upright use position and a horizontal storage position;
a lock means for locking and unlocking the seat cushion to and from the horizontal use position, the lock means being provided between the seat cushion and vehicle body at a point below the seat cushion; and
an interlocking means operatively connected with the seat back and seat cushion, the interlocking means including a biasing means for biasingly cause the seat cushion to flip over to the upright storage position, with such an arrangement that, upon folding the seat back from the upright use position down to the horizontal storage position, the lock means is automatically operated by the interlocking means to unlock the seat cushion from the horizontal use position, and thus, the seat cushion is automatically caused by the biasing means to flip over from the horizontal use position to the upright storage position.
It is a second purpose of the present invention to provide the foregoing vehicle seat without the lock means, which is still effective in avoiding a wabbling or rattling between the seat cushion and seat back.
For that purpose, the vehicle seat is basically comprised of:
a seat cushion rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between a horizontal use position and an upright storage position;
a seat back rotatably provided with the vehicle body so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between an upright use position and a horizontal storage position; and
an interlocking means operatively connected with the seat back and seat cushion, the interlocking means including:
a biasing means for biasingly causing the seat cushion to flip over to the upright storage position, the basing means being so workable as to resiliently contract and extend in a direction;
a link means having one end pivotally connected with the seat back and another end pivotally connected with the biasing means; and
a guide means for guiding the biasing means so as to insure that the biasing means works in the direction,
with such an arrangement that, upon folding the seat back from the upright use position down to the horizontal storage position, both link means and biasing means are moved via the guide means, thereby automatically rotating or flipping over the seat cushion from the horizontal use position to the upright storage position.
Accordingly, the biasing means effectively gives an biasing force to both of the seat back set in the horizontal storage position and the seat cushion set in the upright storage position, thereby retaining them all against movement, so that there is no wabbling and no rattling between the seat back and seat cushion even due to a vibration of the vehicle.
In this respect, preferably, the biasing means and link means may be operatively connected with the seat back and seat cushion in such a manner that, when the seat back is folded down substantially to a midway point between the upright use position and horizontal storage position, the seat cushion is quickly flipped over by the biasing and link means to the upright storage position, and, with further folding down of the seat back from the midway point to the horizontal storage position, the seat cushion is positively retained at the upright storage position under a biasing force of the biasing means.
It is a third purpose of the present invention to provide a vehicle of the same type as describe above, wherein a headrest is movably provided on the seat back, which prevents contact and interference between the headrest and the seat back.
For that purpose, the vehicle seat is basically comprised of:
a seat back rotatably provided so as to be able to be rotated or flipped over between an upright use position and a horizontal storage position;
a striker fixed on the vehicle body at a point corresponding to the upright use position associated with the seat back;
a seat back lock means for locking and unlocking the seat back to and from the striker, the seat back lock means comprising;
an operation lever means movable in one of a locking direction to lock the seat back to the striker and an unlocking direction to unlock the seat back from the striker;
a latch workable for engagement with the striker;
a lock bracket having one end portion rotatably supported in the seat back and another end portion connected via a connecting rod with the operation lever means, wherein such one end portion is disposed above the latch; and
a biasing means connected between the latch and the foregoing another end portion of the lock bracket so as to not only biasingly cause the lock bracket to engage the latch, but also bias the operation lever means in the locking direction;
a headrest rotatably provided on the seat back;
a headrest lock means for locking and unlocking the headrest to a locked position, the headrest lock means comprising:
a lock piece provided with the headrest; and
a hook-like lock member biased by a spring in a direction to engage the lock piece, and
an interlocking means operatively connected between the operation lever means and the hook-like lock member of the headrest lock means.
Preferably, the operation lever means may comprise an operation knob and an actuator lever portion rotatable about a center of rotation, and the connecting rod be connected with the actuator lever portion at a point near to the center of rotation, while the interlocking means be connected with the actuator lever portion at a point distant from the center of rotation, so that, when the operation knob is moved in the unlocking direction, the hook-like lock member of the headrest lock means is first disengaged from the lock piece associated with the headrest, thereby allowing the headrest to rotate from the locked position to a storage position, after which, the latch is disengaged from the striker, thereby allowing the seat back to be flipped over from the upright use position to the horizontal storage position.
Other various effects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from reading of the description hereinafter, with reference to the annexed drawings.